Can openek



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CAN OPENER No. 470,710. Patented Mar; 15, 1892.

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No. 470,710. Patented'Mar. 15, I892.

UNITED STATES PATENT 'OFFICEQ v IVARREN H. SHAY, OF TOLEDO, OHIO,ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO RALPH SHAY, OF SAME PLACE.

CAN-OPEN ER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 4="('0,'710, datedMarch 15, 1892. Application filed .Tune 25, 1891. Serial No. 397,469.(No model.)

To (ZZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WARREN H. SHAY, of Toledo, county of Lucas, andState of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in aCompound Tool; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full,clear, and exact description of the invention, which will enable othersskilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the-same,reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the figures ofreference marked thereon, which form part of this specification.

Myinvention relates to a compound tool, and has for its object toprovide a handle to which may be attached a Wire for forming a canwrench or holder and with provision for attaching a cutter to form acan-opener.

A further object is to form the pivotal center of the knife-leveradjustable radially.

A further object is to provide for a radial adjustment of the knife.

The invention consists in the parts and combination of parts hereinafterdescribed, and pointed out in the claims.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a plan view of a combined can wrench orholder and canopener. Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the handle andadjustable center for the canopener pivot. Fig. 3 is a plan view of theclamping-wire. Fig. 4 is a side elevation of the knife-lever. Fig. 5 isan enlarged transverse sectional view of the knife-lever and knife-bar,showing the knife in full lines; and Fig.6 is a longitudinal verticalsection through the center of the handle with the front half removed.

1 designates the handle, formed with a curved projection 2 to bearagainst the can, and a hook projection- 3, which is engaged with loopend 4 of a clamping-wire 5. The clamping-wire is bent in circular formand has an end portion 6 running parallel with the body of handle 1,whereby the handle and wire may be grasped in the hand, and by forcingthe Wire toward the handle the area of the circle is decreased, therebyimpinging the wire upon the euter surface of the can and forcing thesame frictionally against the curved projection 2 of the handlesuffithreaded end 8 of a pin 9, the head of the pin being enlarged toprevent the same from pass- I ing through the slot as :the pin isintroduced from the bottom side of the handle. The front cross-bar 10 ofthe handle, which extends across the slot, is formed with a rib 11,therebeing, preferably, an intermediate cross-bar 12 to prevent the metal oneach side of the slot from springing when the handle is grasped.

l3 designates a longitudin all y-movable pivot-bar formed with adownwardly-projecting guide-pin 14 at the rear end, which enters slot 7and moves freely therein, and also with serrations 15 upon the frontend, into which the rib 11 enters when the bar is properly adjusted, thebar being held in adjustment by pin 9, which passes through aperforation formed in the bar by means of a nut 15, run upon theprojecting end and bearing upon the upper side of the bar. The outer endof the pivot-bar is formed with a perforation 16 to receive a pivot-pin17, projecting vertically from the outer end of a cutter-lever 18. Lever18 has a fiat body portion 19,having a slot 20 formed longitudinallythereof, through which is passed a screw-threaded pin 21, secured to aknife 22, there being a thumb-nut23 run upon pin 21 to holdthe same toany desired adjustment upon the knife-lever. The outer end of theknife-lever is provided with ahandle 24, by which to operate the same.

In operation, if it is desired to unscrew the top of a can, loop 4 ofclamping-wire 5 is engaged with hook 3 of the handle, the wire is causedto embrace the top of the can, when the handle and end 6 of the wire aregrasped, and the top is firmly held by the wrench while unscrewing thesame.

To convert the tool into acan-opener-that is, for tin cans in whichfruit, &c., is hermetically sealed-the pivot-bar 13 is extended to adegree to cause the perforation therein to coincide with the center ofthe can. Pin 17 of lever 18 is now introduced into the perforation andknife 22 is adjusted by means of the thumb-screw, so that it will enterthe top of the can near the margin,when by grasping the handle. of thelever and forcing the knife through the top of the can,and then movingthe knife-lever circumferentially with respect to its pivot, a circulardisk is cut either par tially or entirely from the top, as it is onlynecessary in order to cut the top entirely from the can to release thefrictional hold upon the can and move the wrench or holder to anotherposition upon the can to complete the out.

It will be understood from the foregoing description that the device isnot only simple and inexpensive but that it is adaptable to cans ofvarious sizes by reason of the expansibility or eontractibility of theare of a circle described by the wire and the adjustability of thepivot-bar and knife.

In some forms of tools where the cans are of uniform diameter I may castthe pivot bar integral with the handle and form the knife either solidwith or adj ustable upon the knifelever.

lVhat I claim is- 1. In a compound tool, a handle formed with anintegral curved projection to bear against the can and anoppositely-disposed curved projection havingareversibly-curved hook. incombination with a clamping-wire formed with a loop end to engage thehook,

said wire having a circular portion to embrace the can and an endportion in parallel relation with the body of the handle.

2. In a compound tool, a handle formed with oppositely-disposed arms, aclampingwire connected with one arm, having a body portion to embrace anobject and an end portion in substantially parallel relation with thebody of the handle, a bar connected with the handle, having an endportion projecting beyond the arm of the handle, and a lever pivotallyconnected with the bar and carrying a cutter.

3. In a compound tool, a handle formed With oppositely-disposed arms, aclampingwire connected with one arm,having a body portion to embrace anobject and an end portion in substantially parallel relation with thebody of the handle, a bar ad justably eon- 5o nected with the handle,having an end portion projecting beyond the arm of the handle, and alever pivotally connected with the bar and carrying an adjustablecutter.

I11 testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I hereby aflix mysignature in presence of two witnesses.

WARREN ll. SHAY.

Witnesses: WILLIAM WEns'rEn, STELLA E. THOMAS.

